Approaching Development Projects from a Human Development and Capability Perspective

Abstract

The paper discusses the relevance of the human development and capability approach for development project planning, management and evaluation. With reference to the set of five other studies that it introduces, it suggests in which areas insights from human development-and-capability thinking offer advances and in which areas such thinking needs to link with and be complemented or corrected by thinking from other sources and traditions. The paper aims at capturing the learning from recent experiences and studies, both for project planning and for the human capabilities perspective.

Sustainable Human Development

“…Therefore, what opportunities people enjoy today and will enjoy tomorrow, in line with what they can reasonably expect, is a matter of economic transformation, agents' cognitive and creative processes and public policy, all of which involve a great number of stakeholders and agencies within a multilevel framework. Although the standard CA and HD paradigm bring new perspectives and insights to many socio-economic and policies issues (Frediani et al, 2014), some elements that are central to political economy are partly, if not fully, neglected. Here again emerges the need to disentangle the unresolved conceptual tension within the CA -identified by Deneulin (2008) -between the individual and the surrounding society or ecosystem.…”

“…Secondly, following Robeyns (2005) and other HD scholars (Frediani et al, 2014;Clark et al, 2015, forthcoming), an enhanced SHD approach can be used as 'an alternative evaluative tool for social cost-benefit analysis, or as a framework within which to [ . .…”

Human Development and Capability Building in the Niger Delta: Issues and Challenges

“…Capability encompasses the level at which individual's mental and intellectual being is being developed to cater for the needs of society and man (Frediani, Boni and Gasper, 2014). The individual capability has been identified as the core value in achieving one's ends in a particular society; this is because it enlarges the choice of individual.…”

Helyi gazdaságfejlesztés a képességszemlélet alapján

“…A képességszemlélet szerint a folyamat szerinti aspektusnak azért van jelentősége, mert a fejlesztésben érintett emberek nem pusztán befogadói, "páciensei" a fejlesztésnek, hanem aktív cselekvők, akik képesek arra, hogy a saját jól felfogott érdekeiknek megfelelően cselekedjenek (Sen 1999b;Frediani et al 2014). Vagyis a fejlesztés folyamatában aktív szerepet tudnak játszani.…”

“…Ahogy Frediani és szerzőtársai is rámutatnak, az eszköz-szemlélet egy projekt hatásainak csak nagyon kis hányadát tudja megragadni (Frediani et al 2014). Csak a szándékolt hatások értelmében tudja értékelni egy projekt sikerét, de nem tudja értékelni azokat a jó, vagy rossz következményeket, amelyeknek a projekt szándékolatlanul okozója volt.…”